Clinton — A man who has identified himself as a lieutenant in the white supremacist group Aryan Nation has been indicted on a charge of aggravated assault and civil-rights intimidation.
Ricky Lynn Hawkins, 34, of Lake City is accused of twice hitting Michael Gipson, who is black, with a baseball bat in an incident in Lake City in October 2010.
Gipson was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment.
At the time, Hawkins also was armed with a blackjack and brass knuckles, according to an Anderson County Sheriff's Department incident report.
While he was being arrested, Hawkins repeatedly yelled racial epithets at Gipson, an arrest warrant states.
Hawkins told the deputy he was mad at Gipson because Gipson had dated a white woman who was now dating him. Hawkins has "numerous tattoos" that are associated with the Aryan Nations white supremacist organization, a warrant states.
Hawkins, who was indicted Sept. 6 by an Anderson County grand jury, remains in the Anderson County Jail. He is to be arraigned Oct. 7.
More details as they develop online and in Thursday's News Sentinel.
